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Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber has admitted that he was surprised when his former rival and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso decided to race in the IndyCar post-2018.
The Spaniard raced in the endurance category during his two-year sabbatical from F1 and even raced in the Indy 500. Alonso had mentioned that winning the coveted 'Triple Crown' had been one of his goals. Webber claimed that the American series was a lot more dangerous than F1 but trusted Fernando Alonso's judgment regarding the move.
Speaking to RacingNews365, the Australian said:
"I don't want to say IndyCar is reckless, but it is certainly more dangerous than F1, but Fernando is very calculating. He has had some big hits such as in Brazil [2003, Alonso crashed out after colliding with debris from Webber's car in the rain] and in Melbourne [Australia 2016, rolled several times after contact with a Haas car].
"With such a long career, you're going to have some big ones, but he was never reckless. I wouldn't say he's fearless, he doesn't have that character either, but IndyCar I thought was a bit of a surprise, and Dakar as well. He just wants to do anything he can strap himself into behind a wheel, just look at how much karting he still does!"
"I don't think there's a smarter guy who's ever sat in a racing car than Fernando Alonso" - Damon Hill
Meanwhile, former F1 world champion Damon Hill recently pointed out the intellect of Fernando Alonso behind the wheel and compared him to the likes of Niki Lauda and Jackie Stewart.
While appearing on F1 Nation, he said:
"He made the comment [when being interviewed after the race] that the [penalty] decision could have been given to him much sooner in the race, and then he might have been able to do something about it. I don't think there's a smarter guy who's ever sat in a racing car than Fernando Alonso, perhaps with the exception of Niki Lauda. I'm probably missing out on Jackie Stewart.
"But he is a thinking racing person. He's just... I was going to say machine but he's not a machine, he's a person, but he's just amazing. He always impresses me with everything he does."
Fernando Alonso is currently P3 in the driver's championship behind the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez after a pair of podium finishes in the first two races of 2023.
